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Plant Portraits: A Botanical Drawing Workshop Inspired by Lucian Freud
Discover the art of botanical drawing through the intense observational style of Lucian Freud and his contemporaries. A full-day drawing workshop taking inspiration from Freud’s striking plant studies and learn how to bring natural forms vividly to life on the page.
Morning session- 10-12.30pm
Lunch 12.30-1.30pm
Afternoon session- 1.30-4pm
A full-day drawing workshop exploring line, tone, and colour through expressive botanical studies.
In the morning session (10:00am–12:30pm), we’ll begin with warm-up drawing exercises, closely studying the shapes and structures of leaves, stems, and botanical forms. We’ll explore how to build convincing plant shapes through line, contour, and proportion, before developing tonal drawings in pencil. Focusing on shading, texture, and gradual tone build-up, you’ll learn how to create depth, weight, and realism that gives your botanical subjects true presence.
After a lunch break (12:30–1:30pm)—bring your own, or enjoy the outdoor farmers market just outside our door—we’ll return for the afternoon session (1:30–4:00pm). Here we’ll introduce colour and mixed-media techniques. Using coloured pencils and ink washes, we’ll selectively bring parts of each drawing to life, learning how subtle layers of colour can enhance tone, add energy, and create rich botanical portraits full of character.
This workshop promises a rich, hands-on day of drawing, giving you the skills to approach botanical subjects with confidence—and to take home your own expressive plant portrait.
Freud’s plant drawings reveal intensity, stillness, and a deep engagement with the living forms in front of him. Working from real plants in the studio, this workshop will guide you to slow down, look closely, and build an image through sensitive observation, tonal refinement, and expressive mark-making.
Maximum 8 Students. The course fee includes all materials.
Please contact us with any questions.